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'Immediate impact on schools'

The Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association has been working their way through the 900-page specification since it was released by the Department for Transport in November 2017.

Tony Clayton, the chairman of the Sevenoaks Rail Travellers Association

Tony Clayton, chairman of the Association, said: "The most immediate impact of the loss of connections on the Hastings line will be on schools.

"Sevenoaks students go to at least five Tunbridge Wells schools, and Sevenoaks schools take students from Tunbridge Wells and further south. A number of local schools collect students from Sevenoaks station.

"Their arrangements will be harder if students arrive every half hour instead of every 15 minutes. Sevenoaks students heading for schools in Tunbridge Wells will have the same problem.

"We also know from experience in London that local travellers will use a service every 15 minutes (which we now have between Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells) as a ‘turn up and go’ link. If it’s every 30 minutes they won’t.

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"That will make life much harder for travellers between the two towns. It will also make it harder for whoever gets the new franchise to retain existing passengers and attract new ones to off peak direct services.

"Overall the proposal will reduce revenue and cut the potential for growth, and the lost revenue will need to be made up with higher fares or cuts elsewhere."

Further changes

Trains to and from Hastings will also run through Sevenoaks non-stop, even at off-peak times. This means anyone travelling from Sevenoaks to Hastings must change at Tunbridge Wells, adding around 15 minutes to their journey each way.

It has also been confirmed that the Oyster payment system will not be extended as far as Sevenoaks as previously hoped and campaigned for.

There will also be no additional seats on the Hastings line, whether from removing first class or adding additional carriages.

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"The economic value of saving time is less as it is mainly leisure travel - that is when people would want to travel between Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells."

'There is no intention to cut services'

A Department for Transport spokesperson said they have no intention to cut services.

They explained: "We are investing in the most significant modernisation of the railways since their creation in Victorian times, which will see passengers on the new South Eastern franchise benefit from modern trains with more space, as well as a more punctual and reliable service.

"The next franchise holder will be required to work more closely with Network Rail to ensure a focus on the needs of passengers and will be required to operate a greater number of trains at the busiest times.

"This is in addition to delivering shorter journey times and improved connections between services."